Reinforced plasterboard

ABSTRACT

A reinforced plasterboard has a first layer of paper having at least two sides, wherein the sides are folded to form a trough. A layer of cementitious slurry is disposed within the trough formed by the first layer of paper. A layer of reinforcing mesh is disposed within the cementitious slurry.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/446,409 filed Dec. 20, 1999, which is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/NZ98/00105 filed Jul. 16, 1998, which in turn is based on NZ 328,339 filed Jul. 16, 1997, priority of each of which is hereby claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to reinforced plasterboard. The term “plasterboard” will, for simplicity, be used throughout the specification to refer to a building material which is formed from any cementitious slurry resulting in a panel of indefinite length which will be then cut to the required sizes. The term “panel” is intended in this specification to cover any type of wall, ceiling or floor component of any required size. Numerous proposals have been put forward in the past, many of them patented, relating to the construction of such plasterboard panels.

[0003] Typically, such plasterboard panels have utilised a gypsum or Portland cement slurry. Some of the existing proposals for plasterboard have included the introduction of a reinforcement into the cementitious slurry. This reinforcement has been proposed as comprising glass fibre sheets or fibres, for example.

[0004] The proposals for reinforced plasterboard to date have all suffered from various disadvantages, and in particular, a failure to provide a plasterboard which has superior strength to resist typical impacts which can result in a building in which the panel is used. For example, in a panel used as an interior lining in commercial and domestic buildings, it would need to be able to satisfactorily resist the forces of human impact over a substantial period of time.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a reinforced plasterboard and/or a method of producing same which will overcome or at least obviate disadvantages in such plasterboard or its method of production to the present time, or which at least will provide the public with a useful choice.

[0006] Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a reinforced plasterboard includes at least a first layer of paper, a core of a cementitious material, at least one layer of a mesh reinforcement and adjacent thereto a further layer of paper.

[0008] Preferably the mesh reinforcement is in contact with the further layer of paper.

[0009] Preferably, the mesh reinforcement includes an open weave glass fibre mesh.

[0010] Preferably, the cementitious material includes gypsum plaster.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of producing a reinforced plasterboard includes providing a continuous feed of a cementitious slurry to spread over a first layer of paper, a continuous feed of a further paper layer, a continuous feed of a reinforcing mesh so as to lie adjacent said further paper layer, means for bringing said layers of paper, said cementitious slurry and said reinforcing mesh together, to result in said cementitious slurry setting between said layers of paper with said reinforcing mesh adjacent said further layer of paper.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the above method the reinforcing mesh is in contact with said further layer of paper.

[0013] According to a still further aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a reinforced plasterboard and/or method of producing same, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 shows very diagrammatically a production line for the continuous production of a reinforced plasterboard, according to one possible embodiment of the invention; and

[0016]FIG. 2 shows very diagrammatically a cross sectional view through a reinforced plasterboard according to one possible embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A continuous production line for the manufacturing of a reinforced plasterboard, and according to one possible embodiment of the invention, is referenced generally by arrow 1.

[0018] The manufacturing process is seen to involve in this particular embodiment the feeding of a back paper 2 along rollers 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the feeding of a reinforcing mesh 7 from roller 8, so as to lie adjacent the back paper 2, and in this embodiment contacting it.

[0019] The term “paper” is used throughout this specification to refer to any suitable outer facing material which is strong and may be a cardboard such as that made from recycled fibres which may include Kraft paper, or the like. The reinforcing mesh may be of any suitable type providing a required density and strength, but a glass fibre or plastics open weave mesh may be particularly suitable such as the commercially available CRENETE (trade mark) mesh.

[0020] A cementitious slurry 15 is shown being fed from a feeder 9 which distributes the slurry 15 across the width of a face paper 11, fed via rollers 12, 13 and 14. The slurry 15 may be of any suitable type, but in one preferred embodiment of the invention, may be a gypsum or Portland plaster. Suitable spreading means may be provided so as to ensure that the slurry 15 is distributed evenly across the width of the paper 11. Also guide means may be provided each side of the production line so as to turn up the sides of the paper 11 so as to form a trough in which the slurry 15 can be accommodated. It is envisaged that in one embodiment, the turned up sides of the paper 11 may then be folded over and adhered to the back paper 2.

[0021] The process will suitably include heating means to facilitate the setting of the slurry 15 and also cutting means, so that the resultant plasterboard can be cut into appropriate sizes.

[0022] It will be appreciated that although single layers of paper 2, 11 and reinforcing mesh 7 are shown being utilised any number of layers can be used as appropriate.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, a reinforced plasterboard according to one possible embodiment of the invention is shown very diagrammatically with a face paper 11, a plaster core 15 such as of gypsum plaster, a reinforcing mesh 7 and immediately adjacent thereto, a back paper layer 2. While in setting, some of the plaster 15 will extrude through the openings in the mesh 7 and bond with the paper 2, the mesh 7 may be positioned so as to be in substantial contact across the entire face of the back paper 2. In this way, the reinforcing mesh 7 is providing a substantial and uniform reinforcement of the plasterboard across the entire face defined by the layer of paper 2 and will thus be able to contribute substantially to the impact resistance of the plasterboard.

[0024] In other embodiments the mesh 7 is adjacent the paper 2 but may not be in contact with it.

[0025] Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

[0026] Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A reinforced plasterboard comprising: a first layer of paper having at least two sides, wherein said sides are folded to form a trough; a layer of cementitious slurry disposed within said trough formed by said first layer of paper; and a layer of reinforcing mesh disposed within said cementitious slurry.
 2. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 1, wherein said mesh reinforcement includes an open weave glass fibre mesh.
 3. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 1, wherein said mesh reinforcement includes a plastics open weave mesh.
 4. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 1, further including a second layer of paper disposed on a side of said plasterboard opposite said first layer of paper.
 5. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 4, wherein said first and second layers of paper are adhered together along at least two edges thereof.
 6. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 4, wherein said layer of mesh reinforcement is in contact with said second layer of paper.
 7. The reinforced plasterboard set forth in claim 1, wherein said cementitious slurry comprises gypsum. 